Delgado newest face of Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl staff

Beginning its second decade in 2013, the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl has returned to its full staff with the recent addition of Bryan Delgado as the new Event Supervisor for the popular college football bowl game that pays full tribute to the armed forces.

Delgado, a 2008 Journalism graduate from the University of Oklahoma, joins the veteran staff of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl led by Executive Director, Brant Ringler. With an extensive media and marketing background, Delgado, like everyone on the four-person, fulltime team, will wear many hats in Fort Worth, and his extensive duty list will including marketing, group sales and sponsorship fulfillment.

This year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will be played in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday, Dec. 30, 2013. The 11th edition of this postseason college football bowl game will kick off at 10:45 a.m. (CT) from Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of TCU. The game will air on ESPN and ESPN Radio.

“We are very excited and encouraged about having Bryan as part of our team here at the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl,” commented Ringler in announcing Delgado’s appointment. “With an extensive background from various sporting organizations, Bryan comes to our bowl with a variety of skillsets and a keen understanding of the Dallas-Fort Worth market. We are confident he will be a valuable asset for us as we begin our second decade as much more than a bowl game.”

With a Masters of both Business Administration and Sports Administration from Ohio University, Delgado has worked actively in the DFW metroplex since 2008, serving most recently as the Communications Coordinator of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, working in sales, marketing and media operations over the last year for the HP Byron Nelson Championship, a staple on the PGA Tour.

Before attending Ohio, Delgado also worked two years as part of the media and marketing team for the annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic collegiate football bowl game. His blossoming resume includes work as a marketing assistant for the Big South Conference, as well as being involved as a ticket sales intern for the Houston Aeros hockey team.

With strong abilities in both traditional and social media, Delgado started his position on the bowl’s administrative team on Monday, June 3.

This year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is slated to feature a team from the Mountain West Conference against the U.S. Naval Academy, pending bowl eligibility. While the bowl game played in honor of the armed forces has previously hosted the U.S. Military Academy (2010) and the U.S. Air Force Academy (2007-2009, 2012), this is the first year that the bowl is contracted with the Naval Academy.

This will mark the third year for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl to be held on December 30, as the 2010 and 2011 contests were both held on that date. The most recent Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl was played Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 featuring a match-up between the Rice Owls and U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons, in which the Owls claimed the bowl victory 33-14. The 2012 showcase drew an attendance of 40,754 and the largest TV audience in the game’s history with an average of 2,584,000 households. The ESPN telecast had a 2.6 average household coverage rating – marking the bowl’s second-highest rating in the event history.

Owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl has featured the “armed forces” theme since 2006. Patriotic overtones recognizing all five branches of the service are prevalent throughout the game. Past Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowls have included fan-fest areas showcasing armed forces hardware; flyovers; demonstrations by several of the military's top skydiving teams; custom homes awarded to wounded warriors; on-field induction ceremonies; armed forces bands and honor guards; the annual Great American Patriot Award presented by Armed Forces Insurance; and the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America.

In addition to Ringler and newcomer Delgado, additional long-time BHAFB bowl office team members are Trisha Branch and Hope Lockett.